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Magic
The Kaleidoscopic Path strongly believes in the existence of magic and the use of magic for the betterment of humanity. Magic, also known as Thaumaturgy, is the craft of using supernatural and natural forces to affect the world. It is through the use of spells and rituals that mages are able to affect the world around them. This is accomplished by drawing on and invoking forces and drawing energy from deities or our own planet. There was a time when mage craft and by extension flourished and mages were able to achieve feats far greater than any possible today. This was a time referred to as the Age of Gods. Though the Age of Gods might have passed we are still able to call upon them in our modern world. For information on Casting a Circle The Elements There are five key elements involved in mage craft. These are the elements of Fire, Earth, Water, and Air which I’m sure everyone is familiar with. The fifth element is much more mysterious and often debated. It is the element of Spirit, Aether, or Void. For more information visit The Elements. Workshop A workshop is where a mage stores much of their equipment as well as their books and knowledge and where they practice a majority of their spells and rituals. It can be as small as a room or as big as a forest. For more information visit Workshop Chanting The repetition of magical or sacred words, phrases and names to raise psychic power and alter consciousness, often referred to as chanting, have been a part of rituals for many years. It has been done in conjunction with drumming, body movements, dancing, and visualization in order to align human consciousness with the realms of the spirits and the divine. The concept behind chanting originates from the Eastern concept of the mantra, sacred words or the names of deities, which are chanted either verbally or silently. The mantra draws on the power of shabda or sacred sound. The repetition of mantras releases cosmic forces that drive deep into the consciousness and even down to the cellular level. By chanting the name of a God/Goddess they are able to draw on part of their power which is used in spellcraft. Chanting has played an important role in magical rituals since ancient times. It was used by sorceresses in ancient Greece as well as sorcerers and magicians during the early and medieval era and is still practised in modern times by folk witches who chant their spells and charms. The chants of contemporary Pagans and Witches may be the names of deities, charms, runes, sacred words, rhymes, or alliterative phrases derived from various traditions. Shamans chant power songs that follow melodies and rhythms that have been passed down through many generations and vary according to the individual. Power songs are used to help them reach an altered state of consciousness for divining and healing. These songs are monotonous, short refrains, and serve various purposes. Every shaman has at least one chant to summon his guardian spirit or power animal, which provides the source of their powers. Native Americans have chants to help with many activities, such as battles, hunts, battles initiations and funeral rites. Curing chants play an important part in Navaho ceremonies. They are long texts which are entwined with myths about how the chants were originally performed by deities or supernatural beings and must be chanted perfectly or else the cures would be nullified. Incorrectly performed chants will also strike the chanter with the illness they were trying to cure. These chants can go on for many days and nights. A chanter is assisted by helpers, all of whom are paid for their work. If a chanter of great repute does not err yet fails to cure an illness, he usually blames witchcraft as the reason. If sickness has been caused by a witch’s spell, only Evil Way chants will be effective. Navaho chanters take care not to perform the same chant more than three times a year, lest they suffer the illness they cure.1 Amulet Objects imbued with magical properties that protect against bad luck, illness and evil. Amulets are universal and are answers to age-old needs: to be healthy; to be virile and fertile; to be powerful and successful; to have good fortune. To ancient humans, these needs were controlled by the invisible forces of good and evil. prayers, sacrifices and offerings induced the good spirits to grant blessings; amulets prevented the evil spirits from taking them away. Early amulets were natural objects whose unusual shapes or colours attracted attention. The magical properties of such objects were presumed to be inherent. As civilization advanced, amulets became more diverse. They were fashioned into animal shapes, symbols, rings, seals and plaques, and were imbued with magical power with inscriptions or spells. The term amulet comes from either the Latin word amuletum or the Old Latin term amoletum, which means “means of defense.” The Roman naturalist, Pliny, defined three basic types of amulets: those offering protection against trouble and adversity; those providing a medical or prophylactic treatment; and substances used in medicine. Within these three general categories are many subdivisions, for no one amulet is broadly multipurpose. Amulets with inscriptions are also called charms. An amulet typically is worn on the body—usually hung around the neck—but some amulets guard tombs, homes and buildings. The ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Arabs and Hebrews placed great importance in amulets. The Egyptians used them everywhere. The frog protected fertility; ankhs were linked to everlasting life and generation; the udjat, or eye of Horus, was for good health, comfort and protection against evil; the scarab beetle was for resurrection after death and protection against evil magic. Some Egyptian amulets are huge: a stone beetle mounted on a pedestal at Karnak (now at the British Museum) measures five feet long by three feet wide, and weighs more than two tons. The Assyrians and Babylonians used cylinder seals that were imbedded with semiprecious and precious stones, each stone having its own unique magical powers. Various animal shapes served as amulets; for example, the ram for virility, and the bull for virility and strength. The Arabs gathered dust from tombs and carried it in little sacks as protection against evil. They also wore pieces of paper on which were written prayers, spells, magical names or the highly powerful attributes of God, such as “the compassionate” and “the forgiver.” Hebrews wore crescent moons to ward off the evil eye and attached bells to their clothing to ward off evil spirits. The natives of the west coast of Africa carry amulets which Western explorers named fetishes. A fetish consists of a pouch or box of “medicine” such as plants, fruits or vegetables, animal hair, paws, dung or livers, snake heads, spittle and urine. Natives believe that the fetish also contains a god or spirit who will help the wearer of the fetish obtain his or her desire. Two amuletic symbols that are nearly universal throughout history are eyes and phallic symbols. Eyes protect against evil spirits and are found on many tombs and walls, and on utensils and jewelry. The phallic symbol, as represented by horns and hands, protects against the evil eye. The names of God and gods, and magical words and numbers, have provided amuletic protection since antiquity; they were particularly popular from the Renaissance to the early 19th century, when the grimoires, books of magical instruction, were written. In magic, using the name of a deity taps into divine power. In the Old Testament, the Hebrews gave the personal name of God as a four-letter word called the tetragrammaton, transliterated as yhwh and pronounced “Yahweh.” This name appeared in different spellings on many amulets and talismans to help magicians conjure demons and protect them from attack by the spirits. Some magical words and numbers are arranged in patterns of squares. One of the best known of these is the “Sator square”: S A T O  R A  R  E P O T E N E T O P E  R  A R  O T A S Although numerous attempts have been made to translate the Sator square into something that makes sense, it remains nonsensical. It was inscribed on walls and vessels as early as ancient Rome and was considered an amulet against sorcery, poisonous air, colic and pestilence, and for protecting cow’s milk from witchcraft. Holy books such as the Koran, Torah and Bible are considered to have protective powers. Bits of parchment with scripture quotes, carried in leather pouches or silver boxes, are amulets in various religions. Ancient pagans wore figurines of their gods as amulets. This custom was absorbed into the Catholic Church. In Wicca, the most powerful amulet is the silver pentacle, the religious symbol of the Craft. Silver has amuletic properties and is used in jewelry along with various crystals and gems. The sign of the pentacle, called a pentagram, is traced in the air in rituals done to protect sacred sites, homes and other places. Other amulets are made from herbs and various ingredients, which are placed in a charm bag. For more information visit Amulet Magical Charms Magical words, phrases, chants and incantations used in the casting of spells. Charms have been common since ancient times. Some charms are verbal—a phrase, formula or prayer—while others are inscriptions on paper, parchment, wood or other materials and are worn on the body. Still, other charms combine phrases with actions, such as spitting. Charms exist or can be composed for every desire and purpose: to secure or lose a lover; ensure chastity, fertility and potency; gain victory, riches and fame; and exact revenge. Other charms protect crops and farm animals, milking and churning butter and get rid of rats, vermin and weeds. One of the most important functions of the folk witch was to create charms that would repel or break the spells of other witches that were blamed for illness and bewitchment. Some of the oldest charms are magical words or phrases written on parchment and worn around the neck. The term abracadabra, which dates back at least to 2nd-century Rome, and probably is older than that, is supposed to cure fever. The church promoted the use of holy charms, including rosaries and holy relics. The most common charm was the agnus dei, a small wax cake, originally made out of paschal candles, bearing images of the lamb and the flag. When blessed by the pope, the agnus dei protected the wearer against attacks by the Devil, thunder, lightning, fire, drowning, death in childbed and other dangers. In the 17th century, rosaries were similarly blessed as amulets against fire, tempest, fever and evil spirits. Folk witches and wizards who were renowned as healers employed many charms. These “charmers,” as they were often called, used Christian prayers spoken or written in Latin, or debased Christian prayers. The church approved the use of prayers and the Scriptures as cures and as protection against evil but disapproved of the prescription of them by sorcerers and charmers—a rather contradictory position that blurred the line between religion and magic. In the 17th century, a Nottingham sorcerer, for example, sold copies of St. John’s Gospel as a charm against witchcraft. To break witches’ spells, he prescribed herbs plus the recitation of five Paternosters, five Aves and one Creed. Some charms were simple little verses, such as this 19th-century English charm against witchcraft: He who forges images, he who bewitches the malevolent aspect, the evil eye, the malevolent lip, the finest sorcery, Spirit of the heaven, conjure it! Spirit of the earth conjure it! Even witches had their good-luck charms, according to this old folk-magic verse: The fire bites, the fire bites; Hogs-turd over it, Hogs-turd over it, Hogs-turd over it; the Father with thee, the Son with me, the Holy Ghost between us both to be: ter. After reciting this verse, the witch spit once over each shoulder and three times forward. Charms are recited during magic-related activities, such as the gathering of medicinal herbs, the consecration of tools and the boiling of a pot of urine to break a witch’s spell. With the advance of science in the late 17th century, the efficacy of magic charms was challenged, and folk magic in general began to diminish, especially in urban centers. Charms, though, are still part of folk culture. Some linger even in the industrialized West, such as the popular charm to divine love, “He/she loves me, he/she loves me not . . . ,” spoken while pulling petals out of a daisy. In Wicca, the term charm has been replaced by such terms as chant, incantation and rune. Some Witches carry “charm bags,” little drawstring pouches containing items used in spells.1 The word charm comes from the French charme, meaning chant or song. In magick, to charm is to physically act upon an object or an individual, compelling it to change its course of action. This is usually accomplished through special rhythmic chants, songs, or music which bring the object or individual under the control of the Witch or magician. To our ancestors, charms were used to control malevolent spirits, which were believed to be the cause of human suffering. The local magician, priest, Witch, or wizard would be called upon by the stricken to utter the right words—speak a spell, formula, or invocation—over the person or property that was under attack. The charm would then ward off the evil eye or malevolent force. With the advent of the written word, it became popular to imbue charms with a certain amount of permanency by inscribing the magickal verse or formula onto a variety of materials, such a wood, paper, bone, stone, wax, clay, and even precious gemstones and metal. The charm was engraved directly onto the object and worn or carried by the user. In contemporary Witchcraft, a charm is a simple poem or verse that is spoken over an object, such as an amulet, to endow it with magickal qualities. The charm, once spoken, exudes a subtle energy, which entices and influences control over its quarry. Once properly charmed, an object is capable of attracting love, creating a good fortune, and providing protection for its user.1 For a list of charms visit Charm Animals Animals have always played a major role in magecraft since ancient times. For more information visit Animals Hair and Nails Hair and nails possess magical attributes that contain the essence of a person, and thus are important ingredients in many magic spells. Hair is associated with strength and virility, and with psychic protection. Abundant hair was considered an asset for many monarchs. The ancient Egyptians believed that a potion made of hair, nail clippings and human blood would give a person absolute power over another. In folklore, a witch’s magical power is bound in her hair. By shaking her hair, the power of a spell is doubled. The shearing off of another’s hair is considered an act of degradation, humiliation or punishment. Samson lost his strength when Delilah cut his hair. The Bhils of Central India tortured suspected witches, then cut off a lock of their hair and buried it, thus severing the link between the witches and their magical power. In the witch-hunts, witches were shaved in the belief that it rendered them powerless and more likely to confess; also, they were shaved to be searched for body marks that could be construed as Devil’s marks. Nails have been associated with demons and evil; some Jews keep their fingernails as short as possible, and tribes in Madagascar believe the Devil lives under unpared fingernails. Much Western magical lore about hair and nails can be traced to the Vendidad, a Zoroastrian liturgy written in the mid-5th century b.c.e. According to the Vendidad, hair and nails are instruments of evil because they grow with a life of their own and can be separated from the body, to be used by witches and wizards for conjuring the dead, bewitching and casting spells. Ahura Mazda gave Zarathustra specific rituals for the safe disposing of hair clippings and nail parings: . . . thou shalt take them away ten paces from the faithful, twenty paces from the fire, thirty paces from the water, fifty paces from the bundles of baresma twigs. Then thou shalt dig a hole, ten fingers deep if the earth is hard, twelve fingers deep if it is soft; thou shalt take thy hair down there and thou shalt say aloud these fiend-smiting words: Out of his pity Mazda made plants grow. There upon thou shalt draw three furrows with a knife of metal around the hole, or six, or nine, and thou shalt chant the Ahuna Vairya three times, or six, or nine. For the nails, thou shalt dig a hole, out of the house, as deep as the top joint of the little finger; thou shalt take the nails down there and thou shalt say aloud these fiend-smiting words: The words are heard from the pious in holiness and good thought. The practice of burying cut hair and nails persists among many cultures. Aleister Crowley secretly disposed of his hair and nail clippings throughout his life. In Ozark lore, hair combings are buried, never thrown out. French peasants bury hair; Turks and Chileans stuff hair clippings into walls. Sorcerers, cunning men and women and witches in many societies have secured the cut hairs of victims to cast spells and break spells. A bewitched victim’s hair thrown into a fire supposedly projects the pain of the flames back onto the witch. The hair of a dead man buried under the threshold of an enemy supposedly will cause the enemy to develop ague. In parts of Germany, a small bag of smooth human hair placed on the stomach will tell someone if they have been bewitched. The answer is yes if the hair is tangled after three days. Hair, particularly pubic hair, is considered a potent ingredient in many love charms. According to legend, John Fian, a 16th-century Scottish wizard, attempted to make a young girl fall in love with him by making a charm from three of her pubic hairs. However, someone substituted three hairs from a cow’s udder, and the lovestruck cow followed Fian all over town. It is still common for lovers to carry lockets of head hair, and in centuries past, young girls often made hair bracelets to give to their lovers to keep them faithful. red-haired persons are witches or sorcerers, according to one old belief. Evidence exists to indicate that some ancient pagan sorcerers dyed their hair red for certain rituals. Red hair was common among the Celts, whose traditions were steeped in magic. During the witch hunts, red-haired people were often suspected of being witches. Witches were said to shoot hairballs into animals to harm them. These hairballs supposedly lodged in the beasts’ stomachs without leaving a mark on the skin. According to superstition, the cutting of hair must be timed according to the phases of the Moon, depending on how quickly one desires the hair to grow back Hair Hair represents strength and energy. Early Christians shaved their heads to show their devotion to the religion. In some cultures, it is seen as an act of purity to have all body hair removed before marriage. In the Middle Ages, cutting a person’s hair had symbolic value judicially and was done to dishonour the lawbreaker. In cultures where magick was practised, a person’s shorn hair could signify the actual person and could be used accordingly. Even hair colour was considered. In the Middle Ages, blonde hair was considered good or heavenly, and red hair was a sign of evil or Witchcraft. Modern practitioners of Witchcraft still use hair to link a person to a spell. It is believed that if you have a person’s hair, you have a part of them and that what you do with or to the hair will then affect the person directly. Hair is often used in healing rituals and binding spells. Lamp The lamp and the lantern are symbolic representations of life, the light of divinity, immortality, the intellect, guidance, and transitions in life. The striking or extinguishing of a lamp signifies the birth or death of someone. Since the lamp brings light to darkness it corresponds to truth and wisdom. The pottery or earthenware lamp is a symbol of humanity. The oil in the lamp contains the energy to power the lamp. When it is lighted, the spirit of the lamp is born in the flame. Lamps appear in myths and legends and even have a place in divination. The ninth enigma of the Tarot is the hermit, holding his lantern aloft to help guide the fool upon his journey. The promise of the light restores self-confidence and helps maintain good judgment. Lamp Magick The lamp has four distinct parts. The base of the lamp corresponds to the element of earth and is the foundation upon which you will structure your magickal work. The globe represents the element of air and is a reflection of your intention. The wick that burns becomes the element of fire and is a symbol of your energy, motivation, and power. The oil is equivalent to the element of water and the fluid that sustains your motivation. The first step in lamp magick is to paint or decorate the lamp base with colors and symbols that reflect your desire. For example, if you were doing a love-drawing spell you might want to paint the base red, with pink and white hearts and then add a heart patterned ribbon. The globe is the ideal vehicle for magickal expression. Using glass paint, write the name of the one you desire in red paint and your name in pink. Fill in the empty spaces with hearts and flowers. The oil is what empowers or gives life to the wick; it is the source of energy and power that will manifest your desire. For love, you could mix a few drops of rose oil in with red lamp oil to reinforce your intention. Lamp Oil Colours Red Love, passion, desire, strength, and courage Yellow Communication, attraction, persuasion Green Money, luck, health, goals, love, marriage Blue Creativity, peace, wisdom, psychic ability Purple Power, ambition Clear Universal, can be used for all general works Demons Though Demons don't play a major role in Paganism or Wicca it would be dishonest to simply ignore them and go against the beliefs of promoting knowledge of all kinds and the propagation of knowledge to try and ignore or pretend that demons don't exist. For more information Demonology Angels For more information Angelology Additional Pages Information source 1 pagangreen.com